Wire bending apparatus



Jan. 13,- 1959 s. LARKlN 2,868,237

WIRE BENDING APPARATUS Filed April 16, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 13, 1959 s, LARKIN 2,868,237

WIRE BENDING APPARATUS Filed April 16, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JAM 4 mam;

Jan. 13, 1959 s. LARKIN 2,868,237

WIRE BENDING APPARATUS Filed April 16, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 VENTOR. e34 [l /(0M BYW Mame) WIRE BENDING APPARATUS Sam Larkin, New York, N. Y.

Application April 16, 1956, Serial No. 578,344

12 Claims. (Cl. 140-71) The present invention relates to novel and improved method and means in the wire bending art.

The principal object of this invention is to provide novel and improved method and means for bending a length of wire into a substantially fiat U-form having a turn of a coil at each end of its base. The length of any arm of such form may even exceed the distance between the arms. The bent form may be such that said turns are between the arms of the U-form or the arms are between the turns. This invention may also be employed to make halves of the mentioned forms, in which instance they would be L-shapes with the turn of a coil at vertex either inside or outside such L-form's.

Another object thereof is to provide novel and improved means for the practice of this invention, affording easy removal of the finished wire forms.

A further object thereof is to provide novel and improved means of the character mentioned, adaptable to be incorporated into automatic machinery where for instance said special wire forms are made and then welded across a central wire in predetermined spaced relation therealong. Such products are known in the trade as reed clips which are used in the channels of structural beams and columns for plastering and concrete covering operations.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel and improved method and means of the nature set forth which offers no interference to the presence or operation of apparatus to do welding or other operations on the wire piece while it is being bent into required form.

Still another object thereof is to provide a novel and improved method for the purposes set forth, which is easy and cheap to practice and means of simple construction, reasonable in cost, easy to operate and efficient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects will become apparent from this essay.

The method for forming a length of wire into a substantially flat U-forrn having a turn of a coil at each end of its base where the arms of such U-form are between said turns, may be practiced by following steps 1 and 2 hereinafter set forth, while to make the U-form with coil turns between the arms, requires also step 3.

Step 1.A horizontally positioned piece of straight wire is first bent in one plane into an upright U-shape comprising an upright right J-form and an upright left J-r'orm in spaced relation with the tip ends of their shorter arms connected by an intermediate portion of said wire piece, whereby the longer arms of said J -form's constitute the arms of such U-form.

Step 2.The two J -forms, remaining upright, are each turned, preferably in opposite directions substantially a half turn to contact said intermediate portion.

Step 3.The arms of the U-formare then bent, first away from each other to follow the coil turns respectively until said arms extend downwardly.

Means to practice such steps may comprise a pair of spaced dies to form the J-forms, then for step 2, such dies acting as clamps holding the-lower portions of the 2,868,237 Patented Jan. 13, 1959 J-forms, are turned in the manner of twin doors. To accomplish step 3, provided fingers are made to move to bend the arms of the U-form around mandrels which are parts of such dies. Swinging the dies back to initial rest position after the fingers are returned to their initial rest position, releases the piece formed. Release after step 2 is effected by opening the dies if the shape desired is the first mentioned form.

In the drawings which accompany this specification as part thereof, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 shows a piece of wire formed by the three mentioned steps.

Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view drawn to reduced scale, showing a series of the pieces illustrated in Fig. 1, welded in spaced relation to a central wire; such wire structures being used in connection with concrete and plaster work on beams of buildings.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view of apparatus adapted to practice this invention. This means shown may be part of an automatic machine for making the product shown in Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. 3 showing such product in the process of manufacture. Welding anvils are included.

Figs. 59 and 5a show schematically the operation of said apparatus of Figs. 3 and 4, and will be .used to explain this invention.

Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective views showing the parts of one die.

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic showing of electrical switching means used to control the operation of air cylinders included in the apparatus of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the numerals 15 and 15 designate generally the two sets of dies, which are identical except that one is right and the other is left. Description of one will therefore suflice for the other. One part of die 15, shown in Fig. 10, consists of a plate 17 having a round rod stem 18 extending downwardly from its lower edge; the axis of such rod being parallel to the side edges of said plate. A mandrel 19, which is a cylindrical block extending from one face of said plate, is near top edge at a position so that the distance fro-m the center of said block equals its radius plus the radius of the wire piece 20 to be worked. The other part of the die, shown in Fig. 11, consists of the female part of the die offered by member 21, formed with channelstructure 22 to serve as a track for the plate 17 to slide along. Said member 21 has an elongated tubular element 23 integral therewith, through which stem rod 18 extends downwardly and is slidable. The depth of notch 21' exceeds the diameter of the mandrel 19, by the diameter of the wire 20, in the embodiment illustrated. The tube 23 is journalled for rotary movement in the manner of a shaft in vertical bearing 24 which is part of a bridge member 25 of the frame 26 above a base 27. The numeral 28 denotes a collar secured on tube 23 and the numeral 29 denotes a gear also secured on such tubular shaft 23, which shaft at its lower end, carries a double-acting pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 30 secured thereto to turn therewith. Hence, the pivot bearing 31, or other suitable bearing means is provided at the base 27 of the frame.

At this time it may be noted that the stem 18 is the piston rod of, the double acting cylinder 30 and that die 16 is associated with identical means as is the die 15 to operate same. It is therefore evident that upon movement of the double-edged rack 32, which is between and engages both gears 29, the dies 15 and 16 will swing in opposite directions, while upon operation of the air cylinders 30, said dies will open or close.

Reference is now had to Figs. 5-7 to explain the work-' ing of this apparatus for the performance of the steps denoted in the process taught herein, as the steps 1 and 2. In initial rest position, the mandrels 19 are farthest away from each other as in Fig. and the pistons (not shown) are at the top of their stroke in the cylinders 30. Said mandrels are out of the notches 21' of the female die, a distance sufficient to permit the insertion of a straight wire piece 20 as shown in Fig. 5. Now on operation of the cylinders 30 for their pistons to move down, the mandrels 19 will enter the notches 21 as shown in Fig. 6, to bend the wire into U-form indicated generally as 20', comprising the end J-forms 20a connected as aforementioned by the intermediate Wire portion 20b. Now, rack 32 is shifted longitudinally by operating-its double acting cylinder 33, whereupon the gears 29 will rotate in opposite directions so that the dies 15, 16 will swing rearwardly inwardly about a half turn each to the position shown in Fig. 7. The wire will have been twisted and its resulting form will be as indicated by the numeral 20". Now, opening the dies by operation ofthe cylinders 30 for their pistons to move upwardly, will release the piece 20 for removal.

The bridge 25 carries an upright plate 34, forward of and facing the wire in Fig. 1. Two bell-crank levers 35 are swingably mounted on the forward face of this plate on the pivotal axis 37. One arm of each of these levers extends above the plate 34 and there carries a horizontal finger 36 which extends rearward beyond the mandrels 19. Slidably mounted through the bridge 25 is a vertical rod 41, motivated by a double acting cylinder 38. This rod is linked by a pin 39 to the downward arms of the bell cranks through the slots 40 which cross each other. In their normal rest position, the fingers 36 are between the arms of the U-form 20' and adjacent to them respectively, as shown in Fig. 7. Upon upward movement of the rod 41, said fingers move around the mandrels 19 respectively a partial turn to their final positions 36 as indicated in Fig. 8, whereupon the wire form 20" is bent into the final U-form 20". In such final position, the distances between the surfaces of said fingers 36 and that between the outside of the arms of the U-form 20", are equal. The movement of said fingers 36, winds the arms of'the U-form 20" further around the mandrels 19 so that said arms extend downward. The coil turns 45 are now between the arms of the U-form 20 as in Fig. 1. Now, upon operation of the cylinder 38 to move the rod 41 downward so that the fingers 36 return to their normal rest position as in Fig. 9, and upon operation of the cylinders 30 to open the dies 15 and 16, as in Fig. 5a, the finished wire piece 20 is automatically ejected. Fig. 5a is the starting condition of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 5, ready to receive the next straight wire piece 20 to be worked on. It is to be noted that the rack 32 is provided with a central longitudinal slot 32' for the rod 41 to pass through.

Especially to be noted, is that heretofore a form as 20" had to be made by hand when the length of its arms exceeded the distance between them less a diameter of a coil turn 45, because in bending the straight wire 20 to shape 20, said arms would hit the mandrels 19 if not bent away from them. In the practice of the present invention, such does not occur because the arms of the U-form 20" are moved away from each other to become the U-form 20". This also gives a constantly clear space between the arms for other apparatus to Work on the wire, as for instance the welding anvils 43 and 47.

The cylinders 30 and 38 may of course be omitted if the device is to be hand-operated as a special bending jig to make the forms. However, I have shown an automatically operated apparatus which may be incorporated as. part of a machine for automatically making the reed clip. shownin Fig. 2. This can be accomplished by including electro-welding anvils, of which 43 is fixed on an insulative base46' on the plate 34, and 47 which is motivated by a double-acting cylinder indicated at 48.

An automatic feed for the wire pieces 20 and for the central wire 50 would also be included in a fully automatic machine to make the assembly illustrated in Fig. 2. Since my present invention concerns itself with the method and apparatus to make the forms 20", 20" and halves thereof, the showing of a complete machine for the manufacture of the assembly shown in Fig. 2 or any other, is not necessary as it 'canbe readily understood by persons versed inthe machine art without further illustration. The appended claims are for protection of the method and means taught herein, where the forms are made either by hand, or with hand-operated, semi-automatic or fully automatic means.

As is well known in the-automatic machine art, the circuits of the electrically magnetically controlled valves used for operating the various cylinders, may be actuated in required timed relation by means of a series of cams on a rotating shaft 55 which revolves once per cycle of machine operation. Said cams cooperate with fixedly positioned switches and are set to properly control said circuits. control of the cylinders 30 to open and close the dies 15, 16. The cam 57 and its associate switch 57 are for the control of the cylinder 33 to reciprocate the rack 32. The cam 58 and its associate switch 58 are for the control of the cylinder 48 for operating the fingers 36 and cam 59 and its associate switch are for the control of the operation of the welding means. If cylinder means are employed to operate wire feeding and cutting mechanism to supply the wires 20 and 50, cams and associate switches therefore may be added to the control mechanism shown in Fig. 12. No claims being made to such control circuits and their associate apparatus of valves and cylinders or to wire feed and cutting means, same are not shown, but such are well known in the machine art.

To make half of the wire forms 20 or 20", meaning L-forms with the turn of a coil outside or inside vertex, only one of the dies is used. In such instances, one end of the wire is held securely between the anvils 43, 47 which are used to act as a clamp.

This invention is capable of being practiced in various manners with means of numerous forms without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended that the matter set forth herein be deemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a wire bending apparatus, a frame, a die means comprising two parts relatively movable towards and away from each other for bending the end portion of a wire between them into a J-form whereby the remaining portion of the wire extends free of the die means from the tip end of the shorter arm of such J-form in angular relation to such shorter arm and substantially in the plane of such J-form, means on the frame for holding such remaining portion of the wire whereby such end portion is positioned between said die parts; said die means as a unit being pivotally mounted on the frame about an axis substantially in the plane of the J-form and in angular relation to said remaining portion of the wire, whereby when said die means is swung while the J-form portion of the wire is held by the die parts, said J-form will turn maintaining the direction of the longer arm of the J-form; the extent of such turning being substantially a half turn, means associated with said die means for moving the die parts towards and away from each other and means associated with said die means for turning such die means about said axis.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein one of the die parts is slidably mounted on the other; the latter Cam 56 .and its associate switch 56' are for the being that part of the die means which is pivotally mounted on the frame.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the die parts is on a hollow shaft which is journalled on the frame and thereby serves as the pivotal connection for the die means and wherein the other part of the die is slidably mounted on the first mentioned die part and has a rod extending therefrom into said hollow shaft and slidable therein therealong.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the parts of the die means is a mandrel and said apparatus including a finger movably mounted on the frame; said finger extending normal to the plane of the J-forrn when said J-forming die is in its initial rest position; said finger when in normal rest position being away from both remote positions of the J-form and adjacent to the remaining portion of the wire; the locus of movement of said finger being at least part way around said mandrel, whereby after swinging the die means from its normal rest position to its turned position, whereupon said finger when then moved from its normal rest position will turn the longer arm of the J-form around the mandrel a predetermined amount.

5. In a wire bending apparatus, a frame, two die means, each comprising two parts relatively movable towards and away from each other for bending the end portions of a piece of wire between the said parts of each die means into a right J-form by one of said die means and into a left J-form by the other of said die means whereby the intermediate portion of said wire extends free of both die means and connects the tip ends of the shorter arms of said J-forms to make said wire into substantially a U-form with all its parts substantially coplanar; each of said die means as a unit being respectively pivotally mounted on the frame about an axis substantially in the plane of the J-form associated therewith respectively and in angular relation to the line joining the tip ends of the shorter arms of said U-forms, whereby when each of said die means is swung while the J-form portions of the wire are held by the associated die parts respectively, each of said J-forms will turn maintaining the direction of the longer arm thereof respectively; the extent of such turning of each of the die means being substantially a half turn, means associated with each of said die means for moving the die parts toward and away from each other and means associated with each of the die means for turning them, each about its axis of swing respectively.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, including means for turning the die means in opposite directions respectively simultaneously.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein one of the die parts of each of the die means is slidably 6 mounted on the other part of said die means respectively; the latter parts being those parts of the die means which are pivotally mounted on the frame.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein one of the parts of the first die means is on a first hollow shaft which is journalled on the frame and thereby serves as the pivotal connection for the first die means, one of the parts of the second die means is on a second hollow shaft which is journalled on the frame and thereby serves as the pivotal connection for the second die means; the other part of the first die being slidably mounted on its associated die part; the other part of the second die being slidably mounted on its associated die part and including rods, one extending from each of said slidable die parts into said hollow shafts respectively and slidable therein therealong.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, including means for turning said shafts in opposite directions respectively simultaneously.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, including means for sliding said rods within said hollow shafts simultaneously in like direction.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein one of the parts of each of the die means is a mandrel respectively and said apparatus including two fingers movably mounted on the frame; said fingers extending normal to the plane of the J-forms when such forms are in their initial position within the J-forming die means; said fingers when in normal rest position, being between said J-forms and away from both remote positions of said J-forms and adjacent the intermediate portion of the wire; the locus of movement of one of said fingers being at least part way around one of the mandrels and that of the other of said fingers being at least part way around the other of said mandrels after swinging the die means from their normal rest positions to their turned positions, whereupon said fingers when then moved from their normal rest position to move around the mandrels respectively, said fingers will each turn the longer arms of the J-forms respectively around one of the mandrels respectively a predetermined amount respectively.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, including means to move said fingers simultaneously in opposite directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,337,504 Bloemaker Apr. 20, 1920 1,882,243 Dailey Oct. 11, 1932 2,517,436 Jones Aug. 1, 1950 2,653,631 Vaughan Sept. 29, 1953 2,661,031 Levesque Dec. 1, 1953 

